


Dark Blue Sky

by Listenerofshadows



Series: Sander Sides One-Shots [10]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Virgil gets to cuddle a black cat named Toothless, death mention, no one dies I promise, suicide/suicidal thoughts tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 00:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15206510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Listenerofshadows/pseuds/Listenerofshadows
Summary: "Do you remember how dark the sky was that night we met? It wasn’t a black void, no. It was a dark blue sky, with the stars and the moon painted across its’ canvas. I hated that sky. I hated how those lights shone brightly on me with their mocking gazes. I wanted the sky to reflect my soul. I wanted it to be a raging thunderstorm."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is basically Virgil addressing Patton in first person POV. I mean, I'm assuming you know that since you viewed the summary before clicking on this fic but I understand if first person POV is not your cup of tea. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Do you remember how dark the sky was that night we met? It wasn’t a black void, no. It was a dark blue sky, with the stars and the moon painted across its’ canvas.  
I hated that sky. I hated how those lights shone brightly on me with their mocking gazes. I wanted the sky to reflect my soul. I wanted it to be a raging thunderstorm.

I stood on that bridge, the very same bridge that was my parents’ demise when their car swerved off into the river below. I was prepared to join them.That’s when you appeared.

For a moment, I thought you were an angel because of how brightly you shone under the moon’s rays. You climbed over the railing to stand next to me, as if it was most causal thing to do in the world.

I think that’s what kept me from jumping initially. I was afraid if I did, you’d try to follow after me in an attempt to save me. I couldn’t do that without a guilty conscience. The whole point of it all was that there was no one left that cared about my existence.

No one in my family had wanted to take me in after my parents died, abandoning me to the foster care system. After moving from foster home to foster home, I had no friends. I had no one. Or at least, until you showed up.

I expected you to start lecturing about how stupid it was for me to throw away my life. You didn’t do that. Instead, you opened up your mouth, and you started rambling about how much you liked cats. I just stood there, stunned, as I listened to you. That was the last thing I expected out of your mouth.  You asked me if I liked cats as well, and it took me a moment to respond.

I told you about the time I hid a kitten in my room from my parents for three days and you laughed, saying you had done the same when you were little. Your parents figured it out after noticing you kept sneezing more frequently after spending extended periods in your room.

You’re still allergic to cats, but you love them so much you’re willing to take allergy medicine to be around them. You told me you adopted a black cat and named it Toothless after the dragon in that kids’ movie.

You were close to tears as you told me about how close he’d been to getting euthanized. Black cats aren’t popular because of superstition and he wasn’t a kitten, either. You’d walked in there, fully expecting to adopt a kitten.

Once you walked in there, you’d wanted to walk out of there adopting all of them. You couldn’t afford to do that, of course, but you could help out Toothless. He was nestled in the corner of cage looking absolutely hopeless. You couldn’t leave the shelter without him.

He was shy, at first. He hid under the furniture and refused to come out except for food and the litterbox. It took a while, but eventually he grew comfortable in the presence of you and others. Now you had the trouble of keeping him off your keyboard while you worked.

You asked me I’d like to go with you to your apartment and see Toothless. I knew it was probably a ploy to get me off the edge, but I didn’t care. Seeing that damn cat suddenly became the most important thing in my life. A little dark thought in the corner of my mind told me that I could always visit the bridge later.

I said yes, and you helped me over the railing because suddenly my legs turned to jelly and I was incapable of hauling myself over it. You talked all the way to your apartment and I pretended to be annoyed, but secretly I was grateful. The chatter distracted me from the swirling thoughts inside my mind.

We arrived at your apartment, and I asked if you had a kid after seeing all the plushies and Disney memorabilia lying about. You laughed and said you were a child at heart. I opened my mouth to respond when I heard a meow and looked down to see Toothless rubbing himself against my legs.

You were astonished because you never seen him warm up to someone so quickly. I broke down crying because Toothless liked me and I could’ve died without ever knowing that a cat liked me.

You led me to the couch, murmuring comforting words, and placed Toothless into my arms. I gingerly stroked him as if afraid my touch would electrocute him. He instead purred loudly over my sobs. We talked about more serious stuff then. We talked about why I was on the bridge that night.

I didn’t expect to see you again after that night. I expected you to fade from my life, like everyone else had. Instead, you stayed when no one else had.

I think about that night with the dark blue sky. My life could’ve ended right then and there. Life’s certainly been no picnic, and I can’t deny that I have had thoughts similar of that night since then. You know I’m not the best at thinking positively but well…there’s so many things I would’ve missed out on if you hadn’t been there that night to stop me.

I know I’m not the only one you’ve helped, Patton. There’s so many people out there whose lives have been made better by your presence. Like the other day when you pulled over and helped the man on the side of the road change his tires or the people you serve at the soup kitchen.  Or what about all the times you’ve babysat your coworker’s kids for free to give her a day off? Sure, you may not be some famous celebrity but don’t think for a second that you haven’t positively impacted people’s lives for the better.

I remember that night, with all the stars and moon shining down on me. I had thought you were an angel at first. But now I realized, you were a star yourself.


	2. Guiding Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in July when I published the first part, BeyondBeautifulBabyBunniesBeneathBlueSkies suggested I do a companion piece w/ Patton's POV of what happened, and exactly five months later I delivered on that request.

I remember how dark the sky was the night we met. It wasn’t pitch black like my cat Toothless’s fur, no. The moon and stars illuminated the darkness, more beautiful than any nightlights I’d ever owned. The sight of the dark blue sky comforted me after a long day of work.

Don’t get me wrong, I love work! I love whipping up coffee orders and having conversations with the regulars. I like making customers smile. Whether it be through a corny pun or just being plain old nice to them! It’s silly, but I’d like to think my work is important. So many of them walk in overtired and stressed out. It makes me sad. The least I could do is brighten their day a bit.

Sometimes, it can be really draining. It didn’t helped that I had worked double-shifts. That night, I trudged along the bridge, my legs aching from standing all day. I kept my eyes out towards the river, the moon and stars reflecting off the waters.

That’s when you appeared. You stood on the other side of the railing, a murky silhouette against the dark blue sky. You stood so still, for a second I thought you were a statue. You stood there, the river churning beneath your feet.

My feet moved before I could even process what I was doing. I climbed over the railing to join you. You turned to look at me. Your face unreadable. I didn’t know what to say. I knew none of my usual tricks could work here.

I got nervous, and when I get nervous I ramble. I started talking about how I liked cats. I asked if you liked cats. You blinked. The water rushed below us. A police siren wailed in the distance.

The moment passed and you answered my question. In your raspy voice, you related to me about the time you hid a kitten from your parents for three days as a kid. I laughed, out of relief, but also because I’d done the same thing. Only my parents discovered Garfield the Orange Tabby Kitten due to my allergies acting up.

Still, I didn’t let allergies keep me from my love of cats. I took allergy medicine to be around them. I told you all about Toothless, my pet black cat. I get emotional every time just thinking about the day I adopted him. That night was no different. The entire time, you kept listening. A light entered your eyes, your stony complexion deteriorating.

On an impulse, I asked if you’d like to visit my apartment and see Toothless. Perhaps it was reckless, inviting a stranger into my home. I didn’t know you, but I knew you weren’t a danger to me. You were a danger only to yourself at the time.

You said yes, and I had to help you over the railing. You didn’t admit it, but I think the gravity of what almost happened started to set in. We walked together to my apartment. I kept talking almost the entire way. It was mostly nonsense, an attempt to distract you. You didn’t say anything. Occasionally you nodded your head or grunted.

When we arrived at my apartment, your eyes widened at my plushies and Disney memorabilia. You asked if I had a kid—something I didn’t take an offense to. I get the question a lot. Some people are rude and don’t get that those things can be enjoyed by adults as well. I knew you meant no harm, though.

I glanced around, expecting to see a pair of glittering eyes staring at me from the shadows. But Toothless was closer than I’d thought. I heard his quiet meow and looked to see him warmly greeting you. I’d never seen him so friendly with a stranger before.

I expressed this out loud, and you broke down crying.  I think the gravity of the situation had struck you then. I hovered, uncertain, before gingerly touching your back and ushered you to the couch. Along the way, I tried comforting you with words. Toothless followed, seeming insistent to stick by your side. He purred once in the security of your arms.

We talked about more serious stuff then. You told why you were on the bridge that night. I was unsure of what words to use, so I listened. And that seemed to be what you needed that night. Someone to listen to you.

I think about that night with the dark blue sky. I think what could’ve happened if I hadn’t worked two shifts that day. I could’ve lost a friend without knowing it.

I may have been the one to stop you, Virgil, but you were the one who chose to listen to me talk about cats for five minutes straight. You were the one to choose to continue living. I know you’re faced with struggles each day that I cannot imagine. But I am so, so proud of you for continuing to fight them. I mean it when I say you’re one of the strongest people I know.

I remember that night, with all the stars and the moon lighting my path. I thought they were guiding me home, at first. But now I realized, they were guiding me to you.


End file.
